In a couple of weeks’ Emma will start her new job at Active Prospects. We can’t wait to welcome Emma to the Active Prospects family.
As we continue to learn about Emma and her employment journey so far, we ask Emma to tell us about the colleagues she admires and why. What does Emma believe makes a good employer?
Tell us about some of the great people you have worked with and why they were great
We asked Emma to tell us about some people she has worked with who she admires. This is what Emma had to say. “My first person would be my old line manager at the Hub in Redhill. She was able to understand me on a personal level and was open and honest. She enabled me to develop my understanding of disabilities and how different and diverse disabilities can be.” When we asked Emma how her line manager helped her Emma said the most important thing for Emma was the fact that her line-manager helped her to develop her ‘independent working’ skills.
Emma’s second ‘great person’ is her support worker. Emma said “she is honest and has lots of confidence. She empowered me to apply for the job and assisted me in my successful application for my new job at Active Prospects. She was very supportive, but most important of all she worked at my pace.”
Emma went on to say “the Aspiring Prospects team have been great in supporting me to get ready for my new role. I admire most the fact they are understanding, honest and approachable. They are great because no matter if I think the question, I want to ask is dumb, they encourage me to ask questions, will answer it truthfully and say every question is a valid question. This kind of support helps put my anxiety at ease. We asked Emma what she has learnt from the Aspiring Prospects team and Emma said, “it’s ok to be nervous, that having anxiety when starting a new job is ok, that most people are nervous starting a new job.”
Of all the skills these people have demonstrated what ones do you want to develop? And why?
Emma picked out that she would like to develop her “confidence, understanding of others, and skills that will help her empower others.” Emma said “I would like to be able to speak to different people with ease, to help others in the best way I can, to show people anything is possible with the right support no matter the disability. I really want to support and encourage other people with tasks they need help with.”
How have other places of employment helped you develop and grow?
Emma explained to us that whilst working at The Hub her patience with customers and ICT was developed, and that over time and with practice she improved a range of skills including using the phone. Emma said, “with practice I improved my skills until they became second nature.”
If you owned a company how would you support your staff to develop skills and fulfil their potential?
Emma said if she had her own business her main priority would be “fairness”. “I would give good training and make it inclusive to all so that all staff get the same opportunities. I would make sure all information is accessible to everyone regardless of disabilities. It would be a fun, happy, sense of togetherness environment. Everyone would have equal holiday allowance, travel expenses paid for and I would pay fairly.”
